Why do dogs spin in circles before they poop

If you have ever watched a dog make its normal call to nature in your front lawn, you may have wondered what makes him spin around before pooping. Some dogs will spin in tight circles, up to 10 times, before bearing down and dropping a doggy deuce. Researchers have discovered that this odd habit can stem from a few places.

Theory One

The ancestor of our canine counterpart, the wolf, uses this technique to pat down the grass in their area, making the release easier, and less of a mess for our furry friends.

Theory Two

The reason for their dizzy tendencies is pheromones. In the same way that humans leave behind their fingerprints, dogs use their scent as their “business card.” By spinning in circles before going number two, our pups can ensure that the area will be well-groomed for their smell to be left behind. So, when that yappy Chihuahua from a few doors down wants to defecate on your dog’s lawn, he will think twice before doing business in your dog's office.

  T heory Three

While walking your dog, or simply letting it out to go seems so mindless to us as mere humans, we find out there’s a lot more behind it than just pooping. It's clear that Fido has a long history with the great outdoors and recycling kibble down to a science. After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Images by Scoop the Poop - Maryland Department of the Environment and Frontiers in Zoology 

Have you and your pup ever been on a walk where he’s taking forever to find the perfect place to poop? You might watch him make a few pre-poop circles in one spot — before he decides it’s not a good enough place to go.  It might look like a weird quirk, but there are actually some deep-rooted reasons why he goes through that pre-poop ritual. 

“There are several reasons why dogs do a few quick spins before settling in to move their bowels — and all of them make perfect sense once you realize why,” Dr. Stephanie Austin, a veterinarian at Bond Vet in New York City, told The Dodo.

Here are some of the reasons behind their circling:

They’re ensuring their safety

“Just like when we go to the bathroom and we check for snakes in the toilet before we sit down (or is that just in Australia?!), Fido is checking to make sure his behind won’t get bitten while he does his business,” Dr. Austin said.

This means that your pup is simply making sure there are no predators nearby (or hiding in the grass) when he’s in his most vulnerable state.

It’s like how people wipe down a public toilet seat

According to Dr. Austin, just like how we wipe a public toilet seat before using it, our dogs wipe the sidewalk or grass.

“We both like to be hygienic before doing our business,” Dr. Austin said.

He’s marking his territory

“Using scent glands on either side of his anus (the anal glands), your pup is telling the rest of his 'hood who he is and where he’s been — [so the message stays] even after you’ve cleaned up the evidence (hopefully!),” Dr. Austin said.

He likes to poop facing north (or something like that)

In 2013, some Czech and German researchers determined in a study of 70 dogs across 37 different breeds that dogs like to align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic poles when they’re going to the bathroom. They found that dogs like to find the north-south axis before they poop.

“However, the researchers couldn’t determine if this behavior was conscious or unconscious behavior,” Dr. Austin said.

Hopefully knowing what your dog’s thinking will make it less frustrating next time it seems like he’s taking 10 minutes to find the perfect spot — gotta find that north-south axis!

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One of life's mysteries as a dog owner and something we see all the time! Why is it that our dog's often spin in circles around a few times before having a poo? We've got a few theories....

Preparing the ground

Your dog is tamping down the grass and chasing away any bugs or other creatures to give it a nice clean place to do its business. The circles allow your dog to get a good, clear view of the surrounding area to make sure there are no threats or predators near by when they are in such a vulnerable position.

Checking for cleanliness

The dog is looking for scents from other creatures to see who else has been in the area. Dogs just like humans want a nice clean and hygienic place to do their business.

Getting things moving

Some people say that the dog is spinning in circles to help stimulate the intestines to help bring on a bowel movement. Yes, there is a theory that the dog with its circle dancing action is actually helping to stimulate the need to go to the bathroom.

Checking that the force is with them

Don’t laugh about this one but there is also a theory by researchers at a university in Prague that says dogs do this and then line their bodies up with the earth’s magnetic axis. Sounds crazy you say? Well like all kinds of other wacky research they actually spent two years and probably lots of money conducting this research so there's got to be something in it, right?!

Keep in mind that not all dogs do the circle ritual and it appears that not all dogs do it every time they need to go. If you have a dog that circles it is just part of the norm for dogs.

So why your dog does the circle dance before doing its business is probably not something that can be fully explained yet. However, it is not a behaviour that you should be worried about.

Our main concern is making sure our dog can find the exact right location for them to do their business by simply keeping moving, letting them stop and sniff when they like, until that perfect spot is located. The worst part is getting him or her to hurry so we can get in out of the rain, snow, cold or heat!

Do you have any theories about why dogs spin in circles before having a poo? Is it something your dog does?

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